Intermittent flow device



INTERMITTENT FLOW DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1939 W 6? mz INVENTOR.

BY 7 1 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES 'PATEN T OFFICE 4Claims. (Cl. 103-232) The present invention is directedto a bottom 'holeintermittent flow device for gas lift wells. More. specifically, it isdirected to an attachment for a string of; tubing containing a valvearrangement whichautomatically permits creation of a head of oil underthe formation pressure above the valve and the injection, into said headof oil, of a stream of high pressure gas to lift the oil to thesurface/.'.

Innumerable types of gas lift arrangements have been devised for use inoil wells. The majority of these are complicated valve systems which,are attached to the flow line between the formation and the surface.Others take the form of borehole pumpswhich are ordinarily quitecomplicated inst'ructure and operation.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of adevice of thefcharacter describedwhich is simple in character andconstruction andfcomp act in s An additional object ob i e presentinvention isthe provision of a device of the character described inwhich the gas inlet passages are not controlled by small valves whichbecome sanded up and corroded, resulting in considerable waste of gas,but in. which the'ports aressimple passages the ends of which are sealedby a valve of the gate type when it is desired to shut off the flow ofgas.

Further objects. and advantages ofthe present invention will appear fromthe accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a verticalsection through the present invention;

Referring to the drawing in detail, numeral l designates a' length oftubing having each of its ends provided with threads 2 for attachment toa conventional string of oil'well tubing. Adjacent its upper end thesection of tubing I is provided with an interior collar 3, the lowerface 4 of which is fruste-conical in shape to form a seat for 'a. valve5; which is solid block of metal having, in generah-the shape ofaninverted cup and saucer and havingits upper face shaped to seat onface 4 of-collar 3. The valve 5 is protubing attachment of the throughthe body of the valve 5 and terminates in shoulder l3 on which seats aball M which is restrained from undue movement by a. screen l5 screwedinto the face of valve 5. The saucer portion of valve 5 is providedalsowith a series of spaced ports I6. Between the ,valve 5, when it isseated on disc 8-, and the collar '4, the section of tubing l isprovided with circumferentially spaced radial passages ll. g

In practice, this section of tubing I is included in the ordinary stringof tubing at a point sufliciently near the bottom so that under ordinaryformation "pressure a considerable head of oil will be built up abovesection I, The section is fitted with a conventionalgtype of packer at apoint below ports I1 and when the tubing is in place the packer is setagainst the casing so as to sealofl the casing above section l from theformation. A

When the assembly is set in place the pressure of the formation pushesthe valve 5 upwardly against the seat 4 thereby closing ports l1 andpermitting oil to flow from the formation through 7 head of oil abovethe valve increases, the spring vided with a hollow stem l which passesthrough which is provided with a series of spaced ports Ill.

The lower end of stem 1 is. provided-with a,

collar ll between which and the lower face of the disc 8 is arranged aspring I! whichnormally tends to hold the valve 9 seated on disc 8.

The passage in the hollow stem 1 continues [2 tends to force the valveback onto its lower seat, As the valve progresses downwardly, ituncovers ports 11 admitting high pressure gas. Immediately' uppnadmission of the high pressure gas the valve is snapped onto its lowerseat. The high pressure gas then forces the oil in the tubing upwardlyuntil the pressure head on the valve 5 is released whereupon theformation pressure again forces the valve upwardly closing port I1 andbeginning the cycle of operation over. It will be apparent that bysuitably adjusting the strength of spring I! to the formation pressure,-the amount of head of oil which can be what is claimed as new and usefuland is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Anvintermittent flow device for an oil well tubing string comprising.a section of tubing adapted to be connected in the string of tubinghaving a valve seat arranged in its interior and containingcircumferential ports in its walls, a

valve slidable in said section adapted to control the flow of fluidthroughsaid section of tubing normally urging said valve to its closedposition.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which saidvalve is providedwith a longitudinal passage having a closure which opens under lessformation pressure than said valve.

3. An intermittent flow device for an oil well tubing string comprisinga section of tubing adapted to be connected in the string of tubing, theinterior of said section being of smaller diameter in a median portionthan at its ends, a perforated plate laterally arranged in said smalldiameter portion, said section having longitudinal walls extending ashort distance on' one side of said plate, a valve in said sectionarranged to seat on said perforated plate and having a smaller diameterportion slidable in the reduced diameter portion of said section, alarger diameter slidable in the enlarged portion of said section and anintermediate portion, passages connecting said intermediate portion tothe enlarged diameter end of said valve, circumferential ports arrangedin said section to be exposed when said valve is seated and to becovered by said valve when it is moved away from its seat, and means fornormally urging said valve to its seat.

4. A device in accordance with claim 3 in which the valve is providedwith a longitudinal passage controlled by a ball valve.

EDWARD E. PEAKEV

